## Rashi on I Samuel Chapter 11

###### Rashi on I Samuel 11:2:1
[Rashi on I Samuel 11:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/11:2:1)

**כָּל עַיִן יָמִין.** כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה (ילקוט שמעוני רמז קיא): הָבִיאוּ לִי סֵפֶר תּוֹרַתְכֶם שֶׁנִּתְּנָה מִיָּמִין, וְאֶשְׂרְפָהּ, עַל שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (דברים כג:ד): ״לֹא יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי וְגוֹ׳״:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Each right eye.** Explain it literally.¹ But the Midrash Aggadah [explains it figuratively, that he said,] "Bring me your Torah scroll which was given by the right hand [of God],² and I will burn it, because He wrote in it, "Neither an Ammonite nor a Moavite may enter [into Adonoy's community]."³

footnotes:
¹ As a symbol of everlasting defeat.
² See Devarim 33:2.
³ Devarim 23:4. Therefore, Nochosh said that he cannot accept any form of peace treaty with the Bnei Yisroel when the Torah specifically forbids to seek peace with Ammon. In Devarim 23:7 the Torah stated with regard to Ammon and Moav, “You shall not seek their peace or welfare, all your days, forever.” Nochosh therefore wanted to burn the Torah.


###### Rashi on I Samuel 11:2:2
[Rashi on I Samuel 11:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/11:2:2)

**חֶרְפָּה.** גִּדּוּף:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**A sign of shame.** An insult.


###### Rashi on I Samuel 11:5:1
[Rashi on I Samuel 11:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/11:5:1)

**אַחֲרֵי הַבָּקָר.** אַחַר זְמַן מוֹעֵד בִּיאַת הַבָּקָר מִן הַשָּׂדֶה:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Behind the cattle.** After the appointed time that the cattle come in from the field.


###### Rashi on I Samuel 11:7:1
[Rashi on I Samuel 11:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/11:7:1)

**לִבְקָרוֹ.** לִבְהֵמוֹתָיו:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**To his cattle.** To his animals.


###### Rashi on I Samuel 11:8:1
[Rashi on I Samuel 11:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/11:8:1)

**וַיִּפְקְדֵם בְּבָזֶק.** רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (יומא כב:): בְּשִׁבְרֵי חֲרָסִים (ס״א, אינו). לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר: בְּבָזֶק, בַּאֲבָנִים, שֶׁנָּטַל מִכָּל אֶחָד אֶבֶן וּמְנָאָם, כְּמוֹ (שמואל א טו:ד): ״וַיִּפְקְדֵם בַּטְּלָאִים״, שֶׁנָּטַל מִכָּל אֶחָד טָלֶה וּמְנָאָם בָּהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ מוֹנִים אוֹתָם בַּחֲצָאֵי שְׁקָלִים, וְתִרְגֵּם (משלי כו:ח): ״כִּצְרוֹר אֶבֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָה״, ״הֵיךְ בִּזְקָא דְכֵיפָא בְּקַלְעָא״. וּבִילַמְּדֵנוּ: וַיִּפְקְדֵם בַּטְּלָאִים, כַּד אִינוּן מִסְכְּנִין, בְּאִלֵּין בִּזְקַיָּא, כַּד אִינוּן עֲתִירִים, בְּאִלֵּין אִימְרַיָּא. לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר: ׳בְּבָזֶק׳, שֵׁם מָקוֹם הַנִּזְכָּר בְּסֵפֶר שׁוֹפְטִים (א:ה) ״וַיִּמְצְאוּ אֶת אֲדֹנִי בֶזֶק בְּבָזֶק״:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**He counted them in Bezek.** Our Rabbis said that he counted them using earthenware shards.⁴ Another explanation is that בְּבָזֶק means 'with pebbles,' i.e., he took a pebble from each one, and counted them, similar to, "And he counted them with lambs,"⁵ i.e., he took a lamb from each one, and counted them with the lambs, just as they would count them with half shekels.⁶ Targum reders, in the verse, "as one who loads a pebble [אֶבֶן] for throwing in a slingshot,"⁷ as one who loads a בִּזְקָא into a slingshot. And in [Midrash] Yelam'denu, "And he counted them with lambs," [is explained as,] "when they were poor, [they were counted] with pebbles and when they became rich, [they were counted] with lambs. Another explanation is that בָזֶק is the name of a place, mentioned in Shoftim, "they found Adoni Bezek in Bezek."⁸

footnotes:
⁴ See Maseches Yoma 22b. According to this rendering, Bezek is not a name of a place, but rather a description of the means used by which to count the people.
⁵ Below 15:4.
⁶ See Rashi Ibid.
⁷ Mishlei 26:8.
⁸ Shoftim 1:5.


###### Rashi on I Samuel 11:12:1
[Rashi on I Samuel 11:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/11:12:1)

**מִי הָאֹמֵר.** בִּלְשׁוֹן בִּזָּיוֹן, שָׁאוּל יִמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ, תְּנוּ אוֹתָם וּנְמִיתֵם:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Who is it that says.** Derisively, "Shaul will reign over us?" Give them over and we will execute them.


###### Rashi on I Samuel 11:12:2
[Rashi on I Samuel 11:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/11:12:2)

**יִמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ.** בִּתְמִיהָ:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**Will reign over us.** As a question.


###### Rashi on I Samuel 11:14:1
[Rashi on I Samuel 11:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/11:14:1)

**וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל וְגוֹ׳ וּנְחַדֵּשׁ שָׁם הַמְּלוּכָה.** לְפִי שֶׁבָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ עוֹרְרִים עַל הַדָּבָר, וְעַתָּה נִתְרַצּוּ כֻּלָּם:

**The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:**
**And Shmuel said, "…and renew the kingdom there."** Because at first there was opposition in the matter, but now they unanimously agreed.⁹

footnotes:
⁹ Shmuel merely invited them to Gilgol; it was not a command. See above 9:9 for a similar expression וְנֵלְכָה. However, now that Shaul saved the people of Yoveish Gilad from the Ammonites; all the people rallied behind him and accepted him as their king.